Ogden will take command of 916th
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on March 30, 2010 1:46 PM
Col. Randall Ogden
Less than two weeks after officials from the 916th Air Refueling Wing announced commander Col. Fritz Linsenmeyer would leave his post in April, his replacement has been named.
Col. Randall Ogden, currently the Operations Group commander for the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., is set to take the reins.
Ogden, a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in both helicopters and KC-135R Stratotankers, is scheduled to officially take command of the 916th at a ceremony on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base May 1.
The colonel's major awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Linsenmeyer was tapped several weeks ago to lead the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio -- an assignment he will report to April 11.
The 910th's mission in theater is to employ the C-130 Hercules aircraft in combat operations of tactical airlift -- low-level infiltration into combat environments where air crews can deliver personnel and materials by airdrop and air-land techniques.
Linsenmeyer, a seasoned aviator with experience in the T-41, T-37, T-38, B-52, KC-10 and KC-135, came to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in July 2007, and since that time, has seen many successes produced by the Reservists under his command.
916th crews have deployed -- crews transformed KC-135Rs for use in aeromedical evacuation missions from Afghanistan to Germany and others completed tours in the Pacific and Middle East -- and took home top honors at Air Mobility Command's RODEO competition.
And three new facilities were constructed on Linsenmeyer's watch -- a squadron operations building, simulator building and corrosion-control hangar built to support the wing's new active-duty unit, the 911th Air Refueling Squadron, a group activated in line with Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations.